Game-recording device.



PATENTED FEB. 20, 1906.

i A. s. NICHOLS. CAME EECCEEING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED APBWZZ. 1904.

UNITED ySTATES PATENT OFFICE.

GAME-RECORDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20, 1906.

Appiicaiioii filed Aprii 22, 1904. serial No. 204,337.

To all whom it may concern:

sponding to the number of the holes.

Be it known that I, AARON SAWYER NIGH- card is also provided with radially-arranged oLs, a citizen of the United States', residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Game-Recording Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is designed, primarily, to afford golf-players a convenient means of keeping the scores of their games. It is adapted to be carried on the person and requires no use of encil and paper, as in the ordinary methodP of keeping the scores. It is adapted to make a record as soon as ay stroke or play is made, so that the player need not await the conclusion of the play for a hole or the conclusion of the inning before recording the strokes or plays.

The invention consists in the novel construction of parts and devices and in the novel combinations of parts and devices hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings I show at Figure 1 a front view of the invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sections in adjacent planes. Fig. 4 is a section at right angles to Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is an inside view of the marking device. Figs. 6 and 7 are hinged sections on the lines 6 6 and 7 7, respectively, of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a front view of the score-card.

As already stated, my device is adapted to be carried upon the person of the layer, and to this end it is desirably provi ed with a spring-hook 10, attached to the back of the device and adapted to be inserted within the belt or positioned over the outer side of the pocket of the player. The device is circular in form and is provided with a back plate 11, i

within which is inserted a score-card 12, similarly shaped. For the purpose of properly positioning this score-card the plate 11 is provided with an exterior flange 13 and with a raised axis orcenter 14, and the card is preferably cut out at the center, as shown at 15, so that it may sit over the axis 14, and it is also of a diameter fitting inside the flange 13.

The card is .also divided radially into spaces, each of which is adapted to receive the record of the strokes made at each of the holes in the links or the other plays occurring in an inning of the gaine. In lthe card shown I have provided-for a record of the strokes at nine holes, that being a customary number in the majorityof--the links, and the spaces are numberedvfromvz 1 to 9, consecutively, correseries of numbers from 1 to 1O,7 in each of the hole-spaces already mentioned, and the record is made in close proximity to these figures, so that 'the player can tell by a glance at the card after it has been removed from the holder the number of strokes made at each hole. The card thus forms a permanent record of the number of strokesemployed at' each hole or'of the number of plays in each inning. The card is held in position on the plate 1 1 by the casing in which are housed the marking devices. This casing consists of a top or outside plate 16, an inside plate 17, and sides 18 and 19. The housing is hinged Vto the plate 11 at 20 and held in acting position by a spring-clip 21, acting on the swinging end. In this housing is located a plunger 22, adapted to be operated in one direction by the player and in the other direction bya spring 23. The plunger carries a pawl 24, which engages the teeth one by one of a traveling or sliding ratchet 25, also located in the housing. This ratchet is provided upon one side with a single rounded projection 26, and the casing is also provided with a series of transversely-extending springs 27, secured at one of their ends on one side of the housing and carrying Vat their free ends puncturingpoints 28. The pointed projection 26 of the ratchet moves behind these springs, and at each actuation of the ratchet received from the plunger forces one of the spring-points against the score-card and makes a record thereon. The springs are thus actuated by the ratchet projection in successive order and make a record of each movement which the plunger receives from the hand of the player. Thus if five strokes are made at any hole and the player actuates the plunger after each stroke the card will have received five impressions or punches. If six strokes were employed, then there will be six impressions on the card, and so on. The plunger is easily operated without detaching the device from the belt or pocket and involves no necessity for inspection by the player at the time he makes the record. A partition .29 divides the housing into two channels or compartments, in one of which the plunger is located and the other receives the sliding ratchet, and such partition has an opening 30, through which the pawl 24 projects. A pin 81 limits the outward-,movement of the plunger, and the end ofthe slot 31a serves as a means for limit- The ICO

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ing its inward movement, such inward movement being just suiiicieiit to carry the projection from one of the puncturing-springs to the next one. Inasinucli as the punctures are concealed from view by the housing until after the card has been turned on its axis, so as to position it for the next hole, I prefer to provide the device with an indicator which will show the number of strokes made in playing for any particular hole while the playing for that hole is in progerss. This part of the device consists of a pointer 32, carried upon the forward end of the sliding ratchet and projecting through the side and over the outer side of the housing, as shown at Figs. l and 6, and traveling through the opening 33 inthe side. The housing is provided witli a series of marks which are numbered from l to "l0, inclusive, as seen at 34, in immediate proximity to the path of the pointer 32, and these marks are spaced in exact accordance with the spacing of the puncturiiig-springs, so that the first stroke given the plunger will carry the indicator 32 to the mark numbered 1, the second stroke will carry it to the mark numbered 2,7 and so on. When the play for any particular hole has been finished, the housing is released from the clip 21 and turned down, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The card may then be turned upon its axis so as to bring the division thereof for the next hole in position under the marking devices, after which the housing is moved back to its acting position. The card is automatically held against shifting on its axis during the progress of an inning by the engagement therewith of the puncturing-points, each of which remains in the card after being operated until the next one iii order is operated. The ratchet is returned to its starting position at the end of an inning by pressing the finger upon the indicator 32 and moving it back to the position of Fig. 1.

I do not wish to be limited, of course, to a card showing only nine spaces, as the card may be increased in size and any number of spaces desired maybe provided upon it. The card illustrated,however, is adapted to be used in making records at eighteen-hole links, inasmuch as by shifting it slightly punctures may be made upon both sides of the rows of iigures, the punctures on one side of the ligures indicating the strokes for the irst nine holes and those upon the other side indicating the strokes for the second nine holes. Neither do I wish to be limited to the card or apparatus for recording only nine strokes for a hole. This number is ordinarily sufficient, but may be increased without change in the principle or mode of operation of the invention, and while I have shown recording devices consisting of puncturing-points I do not wish to be limited to those devices.

It will be noted that the pawl 24 is not norl separate play and the series being adapted to.

mally engaged with the teeth of the ratchet 25 but it is adapted to engage the teeth very soon after the plunger begins to move.

The apparatus is adapted not only to be worn upon the person, but it may also be carried in the pocket and easily operated without removing it from the pocket.

I claim- 1. The apparatus for recording gainescores consisting of a holder, a score-card adjustable in said holder for the ldifferent innings but otherwise stationary therein, and means upon the holder adapted to make a separate record upon the card of .each of a plurality of plays or strokes in each inning.

2. The apparatus for recording gamescores consisting of a holder, a score-card adj ustablypositioned in the holder for-the difierent innings but 4otherwise stationary therein, means `carried by the holder and adapted to make a separate record upon the card of each oi a plurality of plays or strokes in each inning, and a device movable by the player and serving to actuate said recording means.

3. The apparatus for recording gamescores consisting of a circular holder, a circular score-card adjustably positioned in said holder for the diiierent iimings, but `otherwise stationary-therein, and means upon the holder adapted to make a separate record of each of a plurality of plays or strokes in each inning.

` 4. The apparatus for recording gamescores consisting of a holder, a score-card having separate spaces for the different innings and adjustably held in the holder, and means ior making a separate record of each stroke .or play occurring in an inning in the proper inning-space and adapted to make a plurality .of such records depending upon the number of strokes inthe iiming.

5. The apparatus for recording gamescores consisting of a holder, a score-card which is both adjustable in and removable from the holder and which is divided into inning-spaces, and means carried by the holder for making a separate record of each of a plurality of strokes occurring i-n an inning.

6. The apparatus for recording gainescores consisting of a holder, a score-card which is both adjustable in and removable from the holder, a series of devices stationarily located in the holder and each adapted to record a separate stroke, and a device movable by the player and serving to actuate all or any portion oi such devices necessary to record a plurality of plays occurring in an inning.

7. The apparatus for recording gamescores consisting of a circular holder, a circular score-card which is bot-li adjustable in and removable from the holder, and ywhich is divided iiito inning-spaces, and a series of recording devices each adapted to record a IOO IIO

record a plurality of plays in each inningspace.

8. The apparatus Afor recording gamescores consisting of a score-card, a holder for such card, means for recording upon the card, and devices 'for actuating the recording means, said recording means consisting of a series of spring puncturing-points, arranged in a straight line.

9. The apparatus for recording gamescores consisting of a stationary score-card, a holder for such card, means for recording upon the card, and devices for actuating the recording means, said recording means consisting of spring puncturing-points, arranged in a straight line adapted to be operated successively by the actuating devices.

10. The apparatus for recording gamescores consisting of a stationary score-card, a holder for such card, means for recording upon the card, and devices for actuating the recording means, said recording means consisting of spring puncturing-points arranged in a straight line, and said actuating devices being adapted to operate the points in successive order.

11. The combination in a portable gamerecorder, of a holder, a series of recording devices, for recording the separate plays occurring in an inning, means for actuating the said recording devices in the order in which the plays occur, and a score-card adapted to be adjustably positioned in said holder for the different innings and having inning-spaces, each of such spaces being provided With numbers for indicating the several plays occurring in the inning, and the recording devices being adapted to make their records adjacent to such numbers.

12. The combination in a por-table gamerecorder, of a suitable holder, a series of recording devices for recording the plays, means for actuating said recording devices and a score-card having inning-spaces Which are provided With numbers 4arranged in radial lines, the card being adapted to be adjusted for the different innings.

13. The combination in a portable gamerecorder, of a suitable holder, a series of recording devices for recording the plays, means for actuating said recording devices successively in the order of the plays, and a score-card having inning-spaces Which are provided With numbers arranged in radial lines, the card being adjustable for the different innings.

14. The combination in a portable gamerecorder of a suitable holder, a score-card adjustable in the holder and having inningspaces provided With numbers or characters in radial lines for indicating the different plays, a series of recording devices also arranged in radial lines and means for actuating said recording devices successively.

15. The combination in a portable gamerecorder of a suitable holder, a circular scorecard adjustable around its aXis in the holder and having inning-spaces provided with numbers or characters in radial lines for indicating the different plays, a series of recording devices also arranged in radial lines and means for actuating said recording devices successively.

16. The game-recorder having a stationary circular score-card divided into radial inningspaces, a holder therefor, a series of play-recording devices arranged radially of the card, and means for actuating said devices in successive order whereby a record may be ma'de of all the plays occurring in an inning in a radial line upon the card.

17. The game-recorder having a stationary score-card, a holder therefor, a series of playrecording devices adapted to make records in a straight line and in successive order upon the card, and means adapted to actuate said recording devices one by one.

18. The game-recorder having a stationary score-card, a holder therefor, a series of playrecording devices arranged in a straight line across the card and adapted to print in the same straight line, a slide moving in line With the recording devices and actuating the saine in successive order, and means for operating said slide.

19. The game-recorder having a score-card, a holder therefor, and a series of play-recording devices, a slide for actuating the recording devices and means for imparting a stepby-step movement to said slide.

20. A. game-recorder having means for making a permanent and separate serial record upon a card of the plays occurring in each of a plurality of innings, each inning-record forming a separate series upon the card, and an indicator actuated by and moving With the recording means and adapted to show at any stage of the game the number of plays made in any inning While the inning is being played.

AARON SAWYER NICHOLS. Witnesses:

ETTA G. FOYE, BLANCHE S. LEVY.

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